Fancy doing something extraordinary? Why not become an on-call firefighter?
That’s the message from fire chiefs in West Yorkshire, who want more firefighters for small stations including Slaithwaite, Meltham, Holmfirth and Mirfield.
On-call firefighters are paid to work on a standby system, sometimes as a second job.
They respond to a pager, either from home or from work and must live or work within one mile of the fire station to meet emergency response times.
And support the recruitment campaign, West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service is hosting a series of open days at community stations where the roles will be available.
Nick Smith, of West Yorkshire Fire Service, said: “Our on-call firefighters are ordinary people who are passionate about helping their community, but who do an extraordinary job in protecting their community.
“A number of open days have been organised at the stations recruiting, where anyone interested can go along and chat to serving firefighters.”
The open days are as follows:
Skelmanthorpe: February 11, 11-3pm; February 13, 10-2pm
Holmfirth: February 15 12-4pm; February 18 9am-1pm
Meltham: February 14, 4pm-8pm; February 25 10-2pm
Mirfield: February 16, 6-10pm; February 18, 12-4pm
Still want to know more? Here’s a brief guide to what you need to know
To become an on-call/part-time Firefighter, you must:
Live or work (within five minutes of the fire station) where you could respond quickly to your local fire station during the normal working day;
Have a real wish to support your local community;
Have an enthusiasm and willingness to work in a team environment;
Have a reasonable level of physical fitness.
What qualities do I need?
West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service are keen to recruit both men and women.
On-call firefighters come from every walk of life, including shopkeepers, builders, plumbers, farmers, secretaries, engineers and directors of companies together with people who are not currently employed. Previous experience is not required thanks to the comprehensive training programme.
What training will I get?
All on-call firefighters will complete an initial training course and a breathing apparatus course within 12 weeks.
The initial training course is demanding and intensive but it is very rewarding. On-going training will require attendance at a two or three hour weekly drill night on station plus periodic refresher courses.
What are the rates of pay?
The annual retainer starts at £2,224 and rises to £2,964 with a ‘disturbance allowance’ of £3.90 a time and hourly call-out rate between £10.15 and £13.53.
